Year 7 Reading Competition

Aiglon’s Junior School students compete regularly in a reading competition.

This gives them the opportunity to prepare a piece for presentation in front of their peers and a panel of judges for an evening of entertainment.

In advance, they practice performance in class through a series of voice lessons involving tongue twisters, face and actions. They also learn how to annotate their poems in order to help with how they execute the performance. Students are then able to find a poem they wish to present, using books and online resources. Some chose serious topics, others humour. The winner (Darcey) chose a poem about a dog, as she herself has a new puppy.

As well as forming an event each term, it is also an excellent opportunity for the juniors to read a range of literature, including poems (they do not have to select a poem), and for them to introduce the audience to what they have discovered.

Teachers helped advise on length, appropriateness, level of difficulty, etc. They were able to rehearse ahead of time, with classmates present to support and help one another. On the night of the performance the focus was entertainment, to provide a nice evening for the Junior School.

All did their best, and one judge commented she couldn’t mark a single student below an 8/10. Judging is based on diction (volume, clarity/enunciation and correct pronunciation) and presentation (engagement with audience, variety of pace, tone, volume, voice). The competition involves students from many nationalities some of whom are learning English and couldn't’ even speak much only a year or two ago!

Through this competition the Juniors are also developing important life skills as well as preparing them for the debates in the senior school and announcements in assembly/cultures/meditations.